D.J. Jordan Announces for HD-31 (Prince William, Fauquier)

More news out of Prince William County this morning, as community leader D.J. Jordan formally announces his campaign for House District 31.

This seat covers Prince William County and Fauquier, and was previously held by Del. Scott Lingamfelter from 2001 to 2017, before Democrat Elizabeth Guzman won in the 2017 wave that ousted four PWC incumbents.

Jordan also announced his website, www.VoteDJ.com[1], and released an introduction video in addition to his press release:

D.J. Jordan Announces Campaign for Virginia State House of Delegates

Former State Social Services Board Chair to Run for the 31st District, Which Includes Parts of Prince William and Fauquier Counties

WOODBRIDGE, VA – Former Chairman of the Virginia State Board of Social Services, D.J. Jordan, today announced his intent to run for the 31st District of the Virginia state House of Delegates in this year’s elections. The district includes parts of Prince William and Fauquier Counties. In a video, D.J. made his announcement – CLICK HERE[2] to watch it.

Jordan is running for the House of Delegates to make state government more transparent and accountable, support small business growth and innovation, and promote policies that create more economic and educational opportunity for families in the 31st District.

“I am excited to announce my campaign for the 31st District of the Virginia House of Delegates,” said D.J. Jordan. “If elected, I will advocate for policies that build a culture of human dignity, expand economic and educational opportunities for families, and help small businesses create high-paying jobs. This campaign is not about me, but rather about the people of this community and the role of state government in our everyday lives. All Virginians deserve a state government that supports our basic liberty and equal opportunity to succeed.”

D.J. will seek the Republican nomination for the general election on November 5, 2019, when all 100 state House of Delegate seats are on the ballot. The House of Delegates currently has a 51-49 Republican majority; all 100 members are elected for two-year terms.

Jordan continued, “Democrats control every statewide office in Virginia, and this year, they could take over the state legislature. This year’s election in Virginia has major implications for the future of the Commonwealth, as one Party could control the entire state government after this year’s elections. Virginia is at a turning point – we could go in two very different directions. We could embrace socialist-style policies where government controls more of our life and money, or we could reaffirm a role of government that preserves our liberty and rights to live the life that we want to live. We could have a state government that picks winners and losers, or we could build a culture of mutual respect for our differences and equal justice under the law. Throughout this campaign, I will lay out a set of ideas that create more opportunity for families in this district, and I encourage people to join us at www.VoteDJ.com.”

D.J. starts his campaign with the support of the District’s former Republican Delegate, Scott Lingamfelter, who represented the District for 16 years from January 2002 to January 2018. D.J. also has the endorsement of former gubernatorial GOP nominee Ed Gillespie, former U.S. Senate candidate and current Delegate, Nick Freitas (R-30), and also Delegate Michael Webert (R-18), who represents part of Fauquier County.

D.J. was born and raised in the Tidewater, Virginia area by parents who escaped poverty because of strong family commitment, education, entrepreneurship, and hard work. D.J. earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Liberty University, and played on the football team as a student-athlete. He also earned a Masters in Public Management from The Johns Hopkins University. D.J. worked in the United States Congress for ten years in several offices, including the House Committee on Small Business. Prior to coming to Capitol Hill in 2008, he worked in broadcast journalism at CNN and also Fox News. D.J. now works for a public relations firm in Alexandria, Virginia.

In 2013, D.J. was appointed by former Governor Bob McDonnell to serve a four-year term on the Virginia State Board of Social Services, which oversees the foster care system and welfare programs in Virginia. During the last year of his term, D.J. was unanimously voted to serve as its Chairman. On the Board, D.J. advocated for policies that support foster children, encourage responsible fatherhood, crack down on welfare fraud, and ensure anti-poverty programs lead to self-sufficiency.

D.J. is running as a Republican because of his admiration for President Abraham Lincoln and the foundational tenets of the Party, which was created in the 1850’s, in part, to abolish slavery and secure justice and individual liberty for every American.

D.J. currently serves his community as a volunteer with the Prince William County Fatherhood Initiative, and he is an Alternate Commissioner appointee on the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC), a transit agency that runs the local OmniRide bus system. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Virginia’s Kids Belong, a nonprofit that helps foster children. D.J. and his wife, Glorya, have four children, and have fostered and also adopted from foster care. They live in the Winding Creek Estates neighborhood in Woodbridge, and are members of Move Church in Lake Ridge.

Meanwhile, D.J. Jordan is running to represent all voters, not just the liberal interest groups like unions and socialists:

D.J. has always been inspired by President Abraham Lincoln’s fight for justice for all, his remarkable passion for individual liberty for every person, and his ability to rise above partisan politics to do what’s right for people from all walks of life. D.J. is running as a Republican, in large part, because of his admiration and respect for Lincoln’s Party and the foundational tenets embodied in its beliefs.

Though historically GOP-leaning, the 31st District has been trending more Democratic in recent years, going from 50 percent for Ed Gillespie in 2014 to 43 percent for Gillespie in the 2017 Governor’s race. However, with no statewide race to boost turnout, and with Corey Stewart’s announcing he’s not running for re-election[5], Jordan is part of a new wave of candidates that can help start the comeback for the party of Lincoln in Prince William County and Fauquier.

Disclosure: The author was a legislative aide and campaign staffer for former Del. Scott Lingamfelter.